Ayre C-5xe-mp v Sony XA5400ES

Zd542,

I'd really like to hear both, but we live in Montecito, a small town adjacent to Santa Barbara, so sampling is limited unless I venture into the dreaded LA area, and even then, the Ayre has been discontinued. I suspect you guys are right though. In a reply to my post at Audio Asylum about whether seeking an Ayre still made sense with Hi-Res computer downloads, he suggested an SACD on an Ayre could better a download.

db

I realize I left out a referent to he. It's John Atkinson. I'm likely to buy a used Ayre if I can find one under $3K.

db

Interesting, I Thought The Sound Of The Sony Was More Musical.No Experience With SACD Between The Two.

Look inside the Ayre box, and you'll find an Oppo. The Sony has had better reviews for SACD sound than the Oppo. If you like listening to a pretty and expensive box, buy the Oppo.

Ayre is not an Oppo. Ayre is a much better sounding player than the Sony as I have heard both in the same system. Sony is more electronic or artificial sounding.